"Passion" directed by Grzegorz Jarzyna

One of the most famous works of Polish well-known composer Krzysztof Penderecki will be performed again under Grzegorz Jarzyna as a director. The “Passion” will have two pre-premieres: 31 March and 1 April 2012 at Alvernia Studios near Krakow.

"St. Luke’s Passion" ("Passio et Mors Domini Nostri Jesu Christi secundum Lucam") was written in between 1963-1965 on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of cathedral in Münster. The composer to write this work used the Latin text of the Gospel of St. Luke, Lenten hymns, psalms and Lamentations. Penderecki’s most famous piece of music consists of twenty-four sections, which together make eighty-minute-long work.

The popularity of the “Passion” has been enormous since the first performance. On the year of its first performance, the “Passion” was included in the programme of the International Festival of Contemporary Music in Venice. In the following years, it was performed for a number of times in all Europe, the USA, South America and Japan. Numerous recordings appeared.

Krzysztof Penderecki recreated in his piece an old musical form, with the strongest links to the works of Johann Sebastian Bach, but its roots reaching the mediaeval religious mystery play. The composer adapted it to the contemporary times both with respect to musical means and the concept. With the whole modernity of the language, Penderecki created a piece understandable for a regular music lover, with comprehensible content, construction and emotion.